Maldives president wants extension of state of emergency

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has sought parliamentary approval to extend a state of emergency for 15 days.

Parliament’s Deputy Secretary General, Fathmath Niusha has told the legislature on Monday that the president is seeking an extension as the “the situation has not changed”.

Yameen imposed the state of emergency on Feb 6 for 15 days, having defied a Supreme Court ruling after it quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders, and ordered his government to release those held in prison.

A Reuters report says the state of emergency was to end on Tuesday.